Hadramout is epicenter of hidden conflict – How is Saudi Arabia working to marginalize STC in game of local and regional influence?

HADRAMOUT, Dec. 14 (YPA) -The current data indicates that Saudi Arabia is exerting increasing pressure to weaken the influence of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and push it out of the political scene in Yemen.

This move comes within the context of growing intersections between Saudi and Emirati interests, particularly in Hadramout, a strategic and resource-rich region where the two countries are indirectly competing to strengthen their influence.

Observers point out that Saudi Arabia, which seeks to arrange the political scene in a way that aligns with its long-term interests in the occupied governorates, may view the STC as a party that does not harmonize with its plans for Hadhramaut and expanding its presence in the governorate.

This shift reflects a new phase of regional conflict over Yemen, where Saudi and Emirati interests overlap with the complexities of the local scene. This raises concerns among STC leadership about the possibility of diminishing its influence or completely excluding it from future arrangements, thus marginalizing it politically.

In addition to the political challenges, the STC faces increasing difficulties on the security front. Saudi Arabia aims to weaken the STC by intensifying pressure on both the political and military levels, exploiting the security chaos and economic deterioration in the southern governorates to pressure the STC and undermine its image both domestically and internationally.

The continued security chaos and rising crimes in the areas controlled by the STC expose it to the people of the southern governorates and weaken its image as a force capable of protecting the Southern cause, revealing its true nature as a tool in the hands of the UAE, lacking the fundamentals of a state-building project.

@E.Y.M